Is it difficult to convert an Apple Keyboard to Cherry MX?

[joebeazelman]

I've been drooling over the wide variety of options available for MX switches, especially keycaps. While I have little experience with Cherry, I'd like to build an MX-based keyboard on a budget just to see what's out there. It's incredibly easy to find all the parts I need, except for a good roomy case. The available choices for Cherry MX are too either too cramped or way more than I would like to spend.

I do have, however, a large collection of M0116 and M0115 keyboards sitting in boxes along with M0110 and M011A. Is it possible to swap out any of their PCBs for an MX compatible? Ideally, the M011A/M0110 would be an excellent candidate for a nice thocky, crunchy, creamy experience, but the SKCC tall stem height may pose an issue. Perhaps, I can elevate the PCB with spacers?

[Findecanor]

M0115/M0116: Practically impossible. The Alps switches are sitting very low inside. A Cherry MX switch needs more room for its pins.
The keycaps are also especially made to follow the curvature of the case. If you'd try putting OEM-profile ALPS keycaps on switches in an vintage mechanical Apple keyboard then you'd see that they don't look right. Transplanting stems inside keycaps is not easy to do, and I am not sure that some keycaps would even fit around the bigger MX switch's housing.

The M0115 and M0116 are quite widely enjoyed for what they are.
BTW. There have been aftermarket keycaps for flat Cherry MX keyboards with just Apple-style legends. But those have of course not been Apple profile.

M0110/M0110A: Has been done. Both one-off builds and a small run PCBs I think.
Edit:
A quick search got me this: https://www.keebtalk.com/t/experiments- ... ard/7129/9

The issue is that the ALPS switches that were originally in the board are a lot taller than modern Cherry MX switches, so the pins won’t reach. Plus the ALPS pins are in different positions. So I decided to solder on short lengths of wire to allow the pins to reach the holes.

[Muirium]

M0110/M0110A: Has been done. Both one-off builds and a small run PCBs I think.

There’s something special about the M0110 that keeps on drawing projects. Just today someone posted this:



As an HHKB aficionado, this obviously caught my eye! I don’t know what it is, though; just presumably MX / clones throughout. Which is a shame as I’d love to improve my M0110 too.

[Findecanor]

M0110/M0110A: Has been done. Both one-off builds and a small run PCBs I think.

There’s something special about the M0110 that keeps on drawing projects. Just today someone posted this:

That's not actually a real M0110, but a new custom keyboard made to resemble the original.
If you look closely, you can see that the alphanumeric cluster is 0.5 units wider (to fit regular keycap sizes), and that the space bar is shorter.

[Muirium]

Indeed. As I said on that thread:

…but that’s not an M0110, just an homage. Here on DT we tend to have the real classics instead of their modern remakes.

I’d like to (ideally reversibly) mod my authentic M0110 rather than just buy some MX remake. There’s something very appealing about them, as shown.